


Four Seasons

by Shinocchi



Category: DRAMAtical Murder (Visual Novel), DRAMAtical Murder - All Media Types
Genre: Autumn, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Fluff and Smut, M/M, Post-Canon, Spring, Summer, Winter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-18
Updated: 2015-07-18
Packaged: 2018-04-09 22:40:49
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,183
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4366940
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shinocchi/pseuds/Shinocchi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A look into how different pairings spend four seasons in different ways.<br/><b>Spring</b>: a new beginning;<br/><b>Summer</b>: passion and love;<br/><b>Autumn</b>: calm and bonds;<br/><b>Winter</b>: resolution.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Four Seasons

**Author's Note:**

> Have a good season read and enjoy! :D

[ **SPRING: First Love** ]

 

There were many beliefs about first love – one of them being the fact that first love wouldn’t last; that it was an inexperienced encounter, and that it was another trial and error experience one needed to go through before one could officially decide that this was the love they were looking for.

When Noiz first encountered Aoba, he only thought of how strong this person could be – a person who’d once championed the Rhyme title, who once played in such an aggressive way that he wasn’t sure if he himself would be able to surpass. He wanted to know what the secret behind this man’s success was. He followed him; just to realize that he was nothing he imagined him to be.

Noiz could only stare inquisitively the first time their eyes met. He tried very hard to lure the hidden nature out of the man; but it was no use. All the man could offer was a lost memory and a great disinterest towards Rhyme. It puzzled him; because he was _sure_ that this man was Sly Blue – there was no way he could dismiss how impactful his gaze was, and how memorable his blue hair was.

He wouldn’t call it love in first sight; he preferred to call it obsession in first sight.

Meeting Aoba was like experiencing spring for the first time. He’d never felt uplifting before, never had anything to entice his sensations. But when Aoba held him close, telling him that he’d tell him all the good things in this world, that he’d be here with him, he thought he’d discover how warmth felt like for the first time.

It was like spring – strands of light shining through the thickness of the clouds that was his own cage; gentle voice ringing by his ear telling him that he was heard, that this time, he had a voice too; and a spirit-lifting sensation that told him that this was where everything would began – that this time, it was his time to live.

It was a new beginning.

“Hello, are you listening?”

Noiz was snapped back to his senses when Aoba waved a hand in front of him.

“You were saying?” Noiz shifted his attention back to Aoba, who gave out a loud sigh.

“It’s rare for you to space out. What’s in your mind?”

Noiz smiled, looking away just momentarily, a flash of memory in his eyes before he gazed at Aoba again.

“Nothing much.”

“Really?” Aoba quirked an eyebrow at him.

Instead of answering, Noiz reached out to caress the back of Aoba’s hand. They were seated outside a café, the aroma of strong coffee lingering in between them. It was the first sunlight they’d experienced after months of cold and Aoba had dragged Noiz out of the house to experience the warmth, despite the hesitance his younger boyfriend portrayed on his profile until they'd reached their front door that he knew it was a futile struggle after all.

He didn’t hate the cold too much, he wasn’t very fond of high weather temperature either. But when he stepped out of the house, and when the first ray of sunlight hit his eyes, he suddenly found himself appreciating how he was able to feel this warm sensation so clearly against his skin now. Sure, it wasn't something it particularly like, but it was  _real_ , nevertheless.

“I hope it doesn’t rain soon,” Aoba continued, glancing up at the sky and scowled as he noticed a few thick clouds in a distance.

“What do you plan to do?” Noiz asked, turning Aoba’s hand over so that he could intertwine their fingers together.

“I found this place where we could have a pretty view of cherry blossoms.”

“Oh?”

He wasn’t interested in cherry blossoms; his attention focused entirely on Aoba, who was blushing a little as he took his cup of cappuccino up, draining the drink down his throat in one go.

“Shall we?”

Aoba stood up before Noiz could respond, and then, before he knew it, he was leading the way out of the café they had been sitting in for the past hour and all Noiz could do was to follow him, feeling the faint warmth he was feeling against his skin when he grasped Aoba’s hand a bit tighter.

The world at this moment was young and hopeful; a huge contrast to how Noiz used to be. Often, he’d feel out of place when he stepped on parsley-green fields, indulging in the crisp clear smell of the air. It was a refreshing atmosphere and he wanted nothing but to continue feeling this air around him with Aoba.

“Here we are!”

Aoba stopped in front of a park, where few groups of couples could be seen sitting under the cherry blossom trees. He didn't know what to expect at first but it was a sight too beautiful for Noiz to consume. Standing rooted on the spot, all he could do was stare, until Aoba nudged him on the elbow that he followed his lead into the park.

“Even in Midorijima, it’s rare for us to see a sight like this,” Aoba said as they walked swiftly into the space. “We often end up drinking in Mizuki’s bar, or hold a party in Koujaku’s house during spring. This is the first time I’m seeing a field of—Noiz?”

Noticing that Noiz had turned extremely quiet, Aoba turned around, just in time to see Noiz’s stunned look. He was staring into a distance, his attention distracted by something. As Aoba followed his gaze, he noticed that he was staring at a family, who was seated under one of the trees – two of the sons had blond-colored hair; one of them was staring awkwardly at the sandwich the younger brother had pushed into his hands while the said brother grinned gleefully at him. The parents were smiling happily at them, the father reached out to ruffle the elder brother’s hair when he took too long to consume his food, the mother wiping the stain on the brother's face when he took the first bite.

“We used to do that too,” Noiz muttered. “Over here as well.”

“Oh, you’ve been here before?” Aoba asked, suddenly feeling stupid for not checking with Noiz first. Noiz was a local after all. Naturally, he’d know about this place if it was the place to be.

“Once, if I remember correctly. My memory is very hazy.”

He didn’t want to probe more so instead, he continued walking, with Noiz following alongside him.

“If that’s the case, we just need to create a new one!” Aoba said. He’d heard enough about Noiz’s past to know how much Noiz had gone through and he had no intention to revive his memories. The best way to do it was to give him a new one and to make sure that this time, he’d remember this instead of the other.

Tightening his grip around Noiz’s fingers, he led them to the riverside, where petals of cherry blossom could be seen floating on the surface of the water.

The silence stretched for a long while, where both of them did nothing but gaze blankly ahead. Eventually, Aoba sat on the grass, crossing his legs and shifting his gaze towards the clear water. Noiz followed shortly after, imitating Aoba and causing Aoba to grin cheekily at his action. Even when he’d noticed how much Noiz had changed throughout the years, he still noticed how innocent he tended to be, when he would soundlessly follow what Aoba was doing when he had no clue on how to react to certain situations, like now.

“I always get very excited when it comes to spring, you know,” Aoba started, now gazing into the sky. “Winter is awful, it’s cold and it’s very troublesome when it comes to dressing up. But every time when spring comes, the weather is nice, breezy…” he paused to take a deep breath before he continued. “…it feels like a new beginning and I like that feeling. Whatever faults we have done, we can always start over and move on.”

Noiz never thought about the season in this way before. Taking Aoba’s words into serious consideration, he followed Aoba’s gaze, eyes brightening when he noticed that the sky was now covered with peculiar-shaped clouds. He remembered when he was young and ‘normal’, Theo would happily point at some of the clouds, telling him how much they resembled certain objects. And Noiz would have a hard time trying to understand his language. It brought back a lot of memories, evoking a weird sense of nostalgia within him.

“Look, Noiz! That cloud over there looks like Midori!” Aoba suddenly shrieked as he shook violently on Noiz’s arm, urging him to look at where Aoba was pointing at.

It looked nothing like Midori.

He let out a chuckle. Then, taking his arm off Aoba’s excited grasp, he encircled it around Aoba’s waist, pressing his cheek against Aoba’s face as he did.

“Noiz, we’re outside…”

He could feel Aoba’s body stiffen in his embrace; but he only pulled him closer, letting out a small laugh when Aoba shivered out of reflex.

“Let them see,” he mumbled against Aoba’s neck before planting a quick kiss on the exposed skin.

Aoba didn’t seem like he meant entirely what he said either. When Noiz closed his eyes, he merely allowed himself to sink into Noiz’s embrace as Noiz hugged him with both his arms.

He wouldn’t say that his childhood memory was completely negative; there were times when he found himself reminiscing the past – those times when he would study in the same room as Theo; times when he would gather under a tree for a picnic session with his family; and times when his parents were actually proud of him. Regardless of what had changed between those times and now, it was undeniable that he had, in fact, experienced some memories that had managed to stay firmly in his head.

And he knew Aoba was trying to tell him that now – that it was fine even if he disliked his past; but it wasn’t fine to dismiss them like nothing happened.

There were a lot of beliefs about first love – some said first love wouldn’t last, that it was merely a beautiful illusion. Noiz never knew how to love, let alone the feeling of being loved. He wouldn’t say that Aoba was his love in first sight, he could only say that when he first met Aoba, he’d known that this person he was hugging in his arms now would be the person who would change his worldview.

He wouldn’t say that Aoba was his first love, either; but Aoba was undoubtedly the one who’d taught him about love, about how to love, and how to accept love.

So he wanted to believe that Aoba was his definition of first love – he was the one who opened up his world; the one who told him how to love not only another person, but himself, and also the world.

Aoba was the **_first_** person who’d told him what **_love_** was.

 

[ **SUMMER: Warmth** ]

 

Noiz and Aoba returned to Midorijima every few months. Even though Aoba had told Noiz that he didn’t mind even if he was to go back once a year, Noiz’s persistence when he brought the suggestion out made him swallow his words back down and he ended up obeying to all that Noiz had suggested instead. The last thing he wanted was to cause Noiz more troubles than he already did but apparently, causing troubles was the last thing he needed to worry about – Noiz enthusiasm in helping him to prepare for his trip back home had proven it to him. Perhaps Noiz had his own reasons to why he insisted to make this frequent trip back that wasn’t Aoba.

And Aoba wanted to find out the answer for himself.

This time, they came back just in time for the summer festival. The last time they’d attended a similar summer festival was when they traveled to mainland Japan during their long vacation. Noiz had been amusingly fascinated at almost everything then, leaving Aoba in a state of amazement as he continued teasing him about it for the next few months. This time when they returned to Midorijima, though, both of them were well-prepared – Noiz custom-made them a pair of matching yukata, only to have Aoba turning them down and telling him that Tae had hand-sewn a pair for them instead. Attempting to comfort an obviously depressed Noiz down, Aoba ruffled his hair, telling him that they’d eventually get to wear it the following year; which effectively did its trick.

He was no less polite than the first time he’d met Tae. Bowing at her from the front door, Tae gave out a huff before she hushed both of them into the house. Aoba felt a sense of nostalgia upon stepping into his room, and from the expression he could see on Noiz’s face, he could tell that Noiz was feeling the same as well. This was where they first met after all – when Noiz had mercilessly crashed into his room, fiddled with his computer without permission and proceeded to attack him in his own room. He was once this reckless and immature brat who knew nothing about the world, let alone ways to handle another person like Aoba who’d shown him enthusiasm and aggressiveness so strong he could physically feel his emotions within him even though emotions were the last thing he could feel back then.

They spent most of their time in the Seragaki household, where they updated each other about their lives across the other side of the world despite their constant phone communication. They stayed for dinner, but when Aoba expressed the intention to stay the night like usual, Noiz pulled on his sleeve, turning his attention back to him.

“I’ve managed to rebuy the apartment I used to stay when I was here,” he said quietly.

He didn’t need to tell Aoba more for Aoba to understand what he was implying.

So for the first time in his many visits back to Midorijima, they stayed in Noiz’s apartment – a sleek, well-organized space very like the owner of the house.

“We’ve got one night till the festival,” Noiz mumbled against Aoba’s ear as he hugged him from the back, distracting Aoba from admiring the view from the huge window in the living room.

Noiz was always straightforward with his action, and Aoba wasn’t surprised to be caught in a feverish kiss as soon as he turned his face around. He returned the passion, pressing their bodies close, encircling his hands around the younger man’s neck and pushed his tongue into Noiz’s mouth, sucking intermittently on Noiz’s lips and feeling his own body temperature increase with every passing second as they entered another night of fervor.

 

Summer festival in Midorijima was slightly different from the summer festival they attended in mainland. The most intriguing part was perhaps on how enthusiastic people here were and how well they actually knew some of the people that made them feel at home. The street stalls were overwhelming, the food they sold were interesting, and Aoba had to constantly keep Noiz to his side to make sure that he didn’t overbuy like every single time they strolled the street together. Noiz’s questions were countless; it was as if he had a question in every corner and Aoba couldn’t help but feel a swarm of endearment from within his chest when Noiz showed the slightest hint of curiosity. He was like a passionate kid – a kid whose curiosity knew no limits; a kid would only knew about the beauty of the world today – at the age of twenty-one. It contradicted his appearance greatly. The small pout he’d wear on his face when Aoba teased him about it, along with the thin frown in between his eyebrows did nothing but intensify the child in him.

It made Aoba feel as if he’d never lose the brat he’d met two years ago after all.

At the end of their food-hunting journey, Aoba brought them away from the crowd, where they stranded off the main street and into a forest.

“Heh, and you said you aren’t keen with public display of affection,” Noiz mocked the moment they stood in the midst of the trees. Aoba looked around, seemingly looking for something and obviously ignoring Noiz when his eyes brightened. Pulling Noiz excitedly to where rays of lights penetrated through the thick bush, they stood in behind a tree.

“What are we doing here?” Noiz asked, finally realizing that Aoba wasn’t intended to do what he thought he wanted to do.

“Shh,” Aoba hushed, pulling Noiz to stand with him behind the tree.

And so they waited. For what, Noiz never knew.

Until he caught sight of tiny hints of light in the space where they were staring at.

“Ah, here they are,” Aoba whispered, although there was no mistaken the excitement in his voice.

Noiz had never got close to nature before, his entire life had been dedicated to solidarity and non-human interaction.

They looked like stars, except that they were moving – _flying_ – and blinking as they went.

“They have the color of your eyes,” Aoba whispered again. Then, he grasped on Noiz’s hand, looking over his shoulder just to give him a grin. “C’mon.”

He walked, as quietly as he could, as if afraid that he’d accidentally disturb the peace. The surrounding was extremely quiet, the serenity broken only by the sounds of their footsteps. Aoba only stopped when they were in the center of the woods, near a riverside where they captured a good view of the small fireflies along with their reflection in the water.

“It’s beautiful,” Aoba murmured unconsciously.

“Yeah,” Noiz agreed. He said nothing more as he fixed his gaze on Aoba, who was gazing, fazed, at the beautiful scenery.

“We don’t get to see a lot of these either,” Aoba continued. “I was told that they’d only come out once in a blue moon. Even when it’s summer, not many get to see them either.”

He was about to ask Aoba what was their name, but Aoba turned at the same time he opened his mouth, looking at him with a bright grin on his face.

“We’re lucky today,” he said. But Noiz was already completely distracted by his boyfriend. He returned his bright grin with a gentle smile of his own before he brought Aoba’s hand up to kiss on the back of it.

“Indeed.” He didn’t need more reactions from Aoba to know that Aoba had comprehended exactly what he meant – his faint flush on his face had told him so. Even when the surrounding was dark, he could still make out the happiness on Aoba’s face, the way his eyes glitter when he fixed gaze on the fireflies.

Returning his attention to the scene, he pulled Aoba over by the waist, nuzzling his cheek against Aoba’s face before he turned and Aoba tilted his face in reflex, knowing exactly what Noiz was about to do. And soon enough, he felt a soft sensation against his neck, causing him to let out a reflexive moan.

“I told you before but,” Noiz looked up, the lime-green color of his eyes a perfect similarity to the color of the fireflies. “I like it when you tie your hair up. You look really sexy like this.”

Aoba wanted to mouth a retort but Noiz took in a mouthful of his skin and proceeded to suck on it, pushing his words and his remaining senses down his throat.

“Say…” he murmured weakly. “I wanted to take some of them back.”

His words stopped Noiz’s action. Giving them some distance, he quirked a curious eyebrow at Aoba. Sensing a chance, Aoba sank his hand into the sleeve of his kimono, taking out a glass bottle.

“Let’s?” he asked, the excitement returned to his tone.

“Is this really okay?” Noiz asked, eyeing the bottle then at Aoba.

“Yup.”

Without waiting for more response, Aoba pulled himself out of Noiz embrace, then proceeding to wave the bottle around, capturing as many fireflies as he could. And not before long, the jar glittered in neon green.

“Here we go,” Aoba said, covering the bottle with a cap. “Let’s go home.”

He didn’t even give Noiz any chance to respond before he picked his hand up again, leading him out of the woods and down the street to where Noiz’s apartment was.

 

All the time they were walking, Aoba let Noiz hold the bottle, constantly giving him sideway stare just to gauge his reaction. Noiz held it with both his hands, a behavior Aoba found extremely endearing as they walked. Across time, he'd come to notice Noiz's tendency to be overprotective over things he wanted to cherish. Like how he was holding the bottle now, Aoba could literally feel how he was controlling his own strength, trying hard not to grasp it too firm, or too light in case it'd fall off his hands. Noiz hadn't gotten to know about how or what it meant to take care of something precious; but often, as Aoba observed, he realized that one of Noiz's traits was that he tended to put the other person before himself, often forgetting that holding the other person precious also meant taking care of his own happiness as well.

As they opened the door, Aoba was about to turn the lights on when Noiz gripped on his hand, silently stopping him.

Taking the hand in his, he intertwined their fingers. Even from the darkness of their room, Aoba could make out the small curves at the corner of his lips; it wasn't the usual smirk he often seen on his younger boyfriend, but it was a genuine smile that often told Aoba that Noiz wanted something more than physical intimacy. Instead, he was asking Aoba for permission - to entrust his body, his mind, his soul to him.

That was Aoba's biggest weakness.

Naturally, they headed towards the bed. Noiz carefully put the glass bottle by the bedside table, his eyes locked on Aoba's the entire time. And when they were both seated on the bed, he leaned forward, kissing Aoba softly on the lips, one hand twirling the ends of Aoba's hair. Teasingly nipping on his bottom lip, Aoba gave out a small chuckle, which in turn made Noiz grin endearingly at him. He'd acknowledged how better informed Aoba was than him, but at times like these, Aoba would once again amaze him with his natural attractiveness. The laugh Aoba gave out was like the sound of an angel, the echo lingered in Noiz's ears before he closed it off with another feverish kiss. Aoba breathed into his mouth, barely audible moans slipping out of his lips when he Noiz supported his back, preventing him from falling over. Soon, his hand found his way into Aoba's yukata, dragging it along his skin, feeling his tremble when he drew playful circles around his nipple. With every naughty touch, Aoba's kiss became more fervent, practically forcing his way into Noiz's mouth and causing Noiz to move his hand up to support his neck instead so that he could press them firmer together.

"A-ah, Noiz..." Aoba moaned, separating their kiss just so he could breathe.

"Hm?" Noiz hummed, licking off the drool from the corner of Aoba's mouth before he pecked on Aoba's bottom lip again.

"The... lights," Aoba panted heavily, practically wrapping Noiz's body with both his arms.

"Leave it off," Noiz said simply. Then, he looked sideways, just enough to have a proper glance at the bottle of fireflies on the bedside table. "This is enough."

Aoba seemed like he wanted to say something else but one rough suck on his neck made him throw the intention aside. Now grasping hard on Noiz's head, he breathed open-mouthed, constantly swallowing down his throat to endure the unbearable pleasure Noiz was giving him now. There was something sensual about doing it in the dark. Usually, he'd request Noiz to keep the lights on; he wanted to see Noiz's face when he was so indulged in him, when he was filled with so much emotions - he wanted to see his face when he let himself loose, watch his name fell from Noiz's lips when he reached his limit.

He wanted to witness this very sensational side of Noiz.

But now without the ability to do so, he could only rely on touches, sensations, words, Noiz's voice, the way Noiz caressed him in such an impatient but gentle way. All these were more than enough to make him lose control.

He could feel every inch of his skin tingle in anticipation when Noiz scratched lightly on it, creating faint hint of scratch marks, keeping Aoba lingering at the edge of the cliff. He wanted more; wanted to feel more of Noiz's needs towards him. It didn't matter if Noiz was to create more marks on him. Even if those marks became permanent, he'd embrace them, love them, being proud of them - because then he felt belonged to someone, and he wanted that very person to tell him the very same thing.

"Noiz..." he called out again. Noiz stopped licking on his exposed chest. When he looked up, Aoba hitched a breath - simply because of the lack of light that he found Noiz's eyes to be extremely intriguing at this very moment. The lime-green orbs were like lights of the fireflies - striking, penetrating, powerful, passionate. He couldn't help but reach out to caress Noiz's face, tracing his features, making sure that the person in front of him was Noiz - the same nineteen-year-old brat that he had come to love.

"I need you," he said, firm and needy. Noiz didn't need to be told twice. He straightened himself up, striped himself off his yukata and proceeded to stripe Aoba's off his and before Aoba knew it, Noiz's mouth was on his again, his hand clutched tightly on the sheet when Noiz grabbed a hold ing his erection. He was impatient, Aoba could tell that much. But yet, he was restraining himself; Aoba could tell that as well.

Struggling out of the kiss, Aoba spread his legs wider, reaching downward to put his hand on top of Noiz's.

"It's okay," he said with a smile, his heart skipped a beat when he saw a surprised look on Noiz's face. "Do it."

He could tell how dreadful Noiz was to push himself into him, how desperate both of them were to be wrapped entirely in each other's warmth. They were both sweating heavily; Aoba could feel Noiz's sweat dripped on his chest when he positioned himself, feel his own back sticking against the sheet, wetting the mattress. He could feel the sore in his throat when Noiz entered him. He gritted his teeth, indulging in the sensation of being pushed apart with Noiz's erection pulsing erratically in him.

For a while, he thought he'd get a heat stroke from the warmth. But when Noiz entered him completely, he let out a reflexive sigh, opening his eyes to look in Noiz's, who gave him a weak smile.

"Hot," Noiz mumbled, eliciting a chuckle out of Aoba. Then, he was moving, slow, then fast, then slow again, until Aoba started moving by himself that he gripped on Aoba's waist and started picking up speed.

He could no longer tell if the water at the corner of his eyes was his sweat or if they were tears. The only sound in the room was their breath moans and the sound of skin against skin. In the midst of the lovemaking, Aoba reached up to cling onto Noiz's back, sinking his nails into his skin and feeling the throb of his own dick when Noiz gave out a louder-than-usual moan. Noiz always liked a little of pain. Satisfied with the reaction, he say up, as hard as he could and this time, sank his teeth into Noiz's neck - the way Noiz liked it.

He almost come when Noiz hit impossibly deep into him when he did just that. As if recognizing the hint, Noiz gripped harder on the base of his dick, delaying his orgasm.

"Together," he heard Noiz whispered into his ears before he felt a lick on the shell. Nodding eagerly, he started sucking on Noiz neck, sinking himself deeper into Noiz and clenching hard on Noiz's erection at the same time.

He didn't even know it when he came. All he knew was his abdomen was hit by hot, wet liquid and he had to release his mouth, clung onto Noiz, felt Noiz's rapid heartbeats against his own chest before he relaxed his body, the intensity almost hit the consciousness out of him.

Noiz's heavy breath by his ear told him that he wasn't the only one who almost went out of breath either. They were drenched in sweat, their torsos sticky with Aoba's release but they remained clinging into each other, until Noiz dropped his head on Aoba's shoulder that Aoba spoke,

"Hot."

"That was what I said," Noiz smirked. Releasing Aoba, both of them collapsed on the bed, Aoba let out a hoarse moan when Noiz pulled himself out of him.

"We definitely need a shower," Noiz said, leaning sideways to wipe the sweat off Aoba's forehead.

"...later..." Aoba mumbled.

"Don't fall asleep."

Noiz's laugh did things to him. He opened one eye, peeking at his boyfriend before he closed it again with a contented smile gracing his features

Noiz had become more expressive throughout the two years they lived together. There were scarce expressions he often caught on Noiz that relieved him greatly. They told him that Noiz was perfectly human - one with great emotions indeed, and across time, he knew that Noiz would come to learn more about these foreign sensations; he'd eventually embrace them, and Aoba wanted to be by his side to witness this moment.

With that thought, he opened his eyes again, just to see Noiz staring at the bottle of fireflies again.

"Noiz?" he asked. Ever since he captured them, Noiz seemed to be exceptionally entranced with them. It piqued Aoba's interest greatly.

"What's wrong?" he asked again, his voice slowly returning to him.

Noiz took a moment to answer. When he returned to Aoba, he was holding the bottle in his hands.

"Can we set them free?"

For a long while, Aoba merely stared, open-mouthed, unsure of what to say. Then, he laughed, his voice grew louder with every passing second.

"Of course," he finally said. Seriously, how much more adorable can this man be? Pressing his hand against the back of Noiz's hand, he smiled at him,

"Let's set them free."

They headed towards the opened window - the sky was clear, there were barely any clouds, cold breeze flowing through the room, bringing along the smell of summer.

Aoba took the bottle off Noiz's hands, opened the cap, and handed it back to Noiz.

"Set them free," he smiled at him.

Noiz hesitated for two seconds before he held the bottle towards the open space, his face softened when the fireflies flew towards freedom, creating a beautiful sight of glittering stars.

When Noiz first regained his sensations, one of the first comments he'd given Aoba was how warm Aoba was. At that moment of time, Aoba couldn't quite understand what he meant by 'warm'; but now, as he watched the side profile of his boyfriend's peaceful, happy face, he thought he finally managed to understand it better now.

It was the feeling of being loved, of being in loved - it was the feeling of feeling all fuzzy beneath one's chest that had created this warm sensations.

It was perhaps, the only sensation that mattered the most to Noiz.

 

 

 [ **AUTUMN: Acquaintances** ]

 

Midorijima always had a nice breeze to it, no matter how many times they were to revisit the island. When they walked along the streets, they’d feel this welcoming air not only from the people around them but also the friendly atmosphere that never failed to give them a nostalgic feeling. Even though they’d decided to stay in Noiz’s apartment on one of those times they’d returned, they spent most of their time in the Seragaki household instead, finding comfort in the privacy they obtained only from that place. Tae would often drag Aoba along to prepare dinner, whereas Noiz would spend time in the living room with Ren and Midori; most of the times though, he’d find himself appearing at the doorway of the kitchen, either peeking at what the Seragakis were preparing, or – usually – he’d be pulled into the kitchen by Aoba, who teasingly pushed him to stand in front of the counter. Even back in Germany, Noiz would suggest that they eat out instead of spending hours preparing a meal that would be consumed in less than an hour. Aoba understood his intention, of course. Having Aoba to tire himself for the both of them was the last thing Noiz ever wanted. But at the same time, he also understood that Noiz wanted to understand the intention behind everything he did. So he tried his best to involve Noiz in everything he did.

Including cooking.

“Two spoonfuls is enough,” Aoba instructed as Noiz scooped the sugar out of the small container, carefully spreading the material into the boiling soup. “Now stir it,” Aoba continued as soon as Noiz was done, then handing him the ladle.

Noiz followed everything Aoba said, although Aoba tried very hard not to laugh at the frown he wore all the time on his face while he was at it.

When there was nothing left to do, they retreated back to the living room. Ren sat comfortably in between Aoba’s legs, while Midori sat on the Allmate’s head, switching into sleep mode when Noiz joined Aoba on the couch.

“It feels nice to be home,” Aoba mumbled unconsciously. When Noiz turned to look at him, his eyes were closed, as if he was reminiscing on something.

Noiz knew Aoba meant no other but every time when he spilled his thought in this way, Noiz couldn’t help but feel a tiny sting in his chest. Often, he’d ask Aoba, again and again, if following him to Germany was the right decision for him; and often, Aoba would remind him, again and again, that he’d followed him out of his own will and that he thought that was the best for him. He knew Noiz still held a certain extent of hesitation towards what he told him but he also knew that Noiz was trying his best to ensure that he lived up to Aoba’s expectation.

“But I’m starting to miss our home in Germany now,” Aoba continued, as if he’d read Noiz’s thoughts. Then, he opened his eyes and gave Noiz a sideway look. “We did turn the stove off, right?”

Noiz laughed. Wrapping his hand around Aoba’s waist, he pulled him into a one-hand embrace, pressing his cheek against Aoba’s head as he hummed,

“Everything’s in order back home,” he reassured, responded by Aoba’s relieved sigh.

Across time, he had come to understand that everywhere could be home as long as he was with Aoba; and he was sure that Aoba felt the same as well.

 

A simple dinner later, they strolled out of the house, made their way into the streets as they held hands. The first year they were back, Aoba was still pretty hesitant with the idea of holding hands under public’s eyes. But now that their relationship was no longer a secret to the whole of Midorijima, Aoba returned Noiz’s grasp as if it was the most natural thing to do when Noiz took his hand in his, linking their fingers together as they waved to acquaintances. Nothing much had changed in Midorijima; not even the people here.

A few minutes of strolling through the memory lane later, they caught sight of Koujaku and a few Benishigure members hanging out at their usual hangout spots. Koujaku waved at them when he saw them; and while Noiz still wore an undecipherable expression on his face, Aoba knew that he was pleased to see the Rib team leader too.

“How long you’ll be staying this time?” Koujaku asked, ruffling Aoba on the hair while Aoba pouted.

“A week,” he responded. Noiz had settled himself on one of the benches, staring at the variety of drinks placed on the small table in front of him.

Aoba would never forget Koujaku’s expression when he first broke the news about him and Noiz. He was surprised, no doubt. But what surprised Aoba next was when Koujaku let out a relieved smile, then asking him if he was happy with the decision. He thought Koujaku would have a say on this – but instead, Koujaku merely sighed, again, and gave Noiz, who was standing right beside Aoba, averting Koujaku’s eyes at most times with a complicated expression.

“I don’t know what to say,” he admitted, urging Noiz to quirk an eyebrow at him. “Just… take care of him.”

Noiz let out a small smile.

“That goes without saying.”

Mizuki’s response, though, was more than encouraging. He patted hard on Aoba’s back, telling him that he’d finally found himself a place to belong and proceeded to congratulate him right after. He didn’t know much about Noiz, but he trusted Aoba’s decision, and that was all Aoba needed from him.

“Tell me more about that… pressel thing,” Koujaku asked as soon as Aoba sat beside him.

“It’s _pretzel_ , Koujaku,” Aoba corrected while Noiz smirked.

“Whatever it’s called,” Koujaku brushed it off with a hint of flush on his face. “How does it taste like?”

Even though they were an ocean apart, they still stayed in contact with each other, with Aoba constantly updating his family and his close friends about all the encounters he’d experienced over in Germany. Sometimes, Noiz would join in the video call; sometimes, Noiz would hear Aoba speaking happily in the other room even after past midnight.

But no matter how long or how late at night the call would last, Aoba would always return with a satisfied grin on his face – and that was all Noiz ever wanted for him.

“Why don't you come and visit us sometimes?” Noiz started, interrupting their conversation.

“Unlike someone, I don’t think I could afford a life so luxurious like that,” Koujaku said, sarcasm heavy in his tone.

Noiz let out a smirk.

“You can pay me back later, I don’t mind waiting for ten years.”

“No thanks, I would rather—wait, what? Ten years?”

Realizing what he’d just unconsciously blurted out, Noiz quickly took the canned drink up, drowning the liquid down his throat and averting both Koujaku and Aoba’s gaze.

“Please come and visit us, Koujaku,” Aoba’s gentle voice broke the silence, and Noiz didn’t need to look at Koujaku’s face to know how flustered he was at the moment.

Across time, Noiz learned that the world around them didn’t work in solitude. Everything happened for a reason – including the persons they met; some were there to teach them a lesson, and some were meant to stay for a lifetime.

And over time, Noiz came to realize that it was only meaningful if he was to spend his life with people who were worth it.

Just like how he’d come to acquaint everyone here in Midorijima – who had changed his life for the better.

 

[ **WINTER: Resolution** ]

 

When they first arrived in Germany, Aoba remembered the weather to be humid, not too cold, not too hot; just nice for their liking. But Noiz had warned him that the weather could be unpredictable, and he remembered he had silently made a mental note to be more cautious towards their attire. It was a whole new knowledge Aoba had to learn by himself and he found great delight in it. When he was still in Midorijima, there was no need to be too cautious over his own clothing. Even though it may turned slightly warmer and perhaps even rained non-stop for a couple of days, these were all temporary changes that wouldn’t affect their daily lives much.

But in Germany, it was a whole new story altogether.

Aoba thought he would be able to manage the change of temperature when he was here. He read that the change could be drastic.

But he didn’t imagine it to be  _this_ drastic.

“Do I  _really_ have to wake up?” he whimpered, wrapping himself firmer with thick blankets before he stared pleadingly at Noiz, who had just got out of bed, half-naked with obvious bed hair.

Noiz took a quick glance at the weather outside before he grabbed the nearest clothing he could find and wrapped it around himself.

“You said you want to try the snow?” he said with a side-way glance. Aoba pouted. Unwillingly rolling himself out of bed, he held tight to the thick material, unwilling to let go of it until he made his way into the bathroom.

“I hope it’s not going to be too cold…” he mumbled, jumping a little when his fingers touched the tap water, which was a bit too cold for his liking.

“That’s the reason why I bought you that coat,” Noiz said, standing beside Aoba as he squeezed toothpaste out onto his toothbrush. “And thugh scahrf.”

“I can’t hear you, mister,” Aoba retorted with a laugh. Across time, he noticed how even though Noiz looked physically older than him, his unintentional behaviors told him enough about how _young_ he was and every time he caught sight of these small actions, it reminded him again that Noiz was still barely twenty and that no matter how much he wanted to present himself in a more matured way than he was now, there was no way he could hide his age when he was genuinely being himself.

Noiz goggled and spit the water into the sink, wiping his mouth with hand towel before he ruffled on Aoba’s hair.

“I can’t wait to see snow with you,” he smirked before he left the room, leaving behind a flustered Aoba.

It was unfair for someone to be so amazingly charismatic and good looking at the same time, Aoba thought. But then he reminded himself that this said person was Noiz, and that Noiz didn’t need a reason  _not_ to be good in almost everything when he was already so naturally intelligent himself.

This was perhaps the first time Aoba found himself wearing a coat as thick as this. The winter coat Noiz had bought for him was dark blue in color, with fine white linings that perfectly outlined the shape of the coat. He felt warm when he first wore it in the house, almost already sweating when Noiz wrapped a white scarf around his neck. It was starting to become stuffy and Aoba was already impatient to head out of the house as he stood by the door, staring as Noiz put on a dark green coat of his own.

“Wait,” Aoba stopped when Noiz walked towards him. “You forgot about this.”

He held up a green beanie, one that was almost similar to the one Noiz once wore when he was in Midorijima and smirked playfully at him.

“Remind you of old brat days?” he teased, while Noiz shrugged. “C’mon, let me put this on for you.”

Seeing Noiz in a green beanie reminded Aoba fondly of their old days, when Noiz was still lost about himself and when Aoba had absolutely no clue about this weird, distant brat.

It was amazing how things could change so fast, he wondered as they walked out of the house, hand-in-hand, and into the cold winter street. If someone was to ask him a few months back, he would’ve never expected Noiz to change into such a fine young man of his own in such a perfectly… _Noiz_ way. He was undoubtedly amused, but relieved at the same time.

“Is it cold?” Noiz asked, smoke emerged from his mouth when he spoke.

“Thanks to your coat and your scarf, I’m perfectly comfortable now,” Aoba said, an intention to compliment Noiz.

Noiz gave out a small smile.

“Are you cold?” Aoba asked instead. “Say… this is your first time experiencing winter, right?”

“If you mean first time experiencing how winter feels, then you’re right.”

Noiz’s answer intrigued a faint sense of loneliness in Aoba. How does it feel to be able to see snow, to be able to touch snow, but was unable to  _feel_ it?

He wasn’t sure if he should ask Noiz about it but Noiz seemed to have read his mind because when he continued, Aoba felt as if he’d just spoke his question out loud without him noticing.

“I remember when I first saw this, I thought it was beautiful. How is it possible that you wake up one morning and suddenly the street is covered in a piece of white, as if someone came and painted it overnight? When my family first brought us out to experience snow, I was genuinely happy. The snow was…” Noiz paused, taking a step forward, stepping right into a pile of snow. “…soft. I tried touching it,” As if trying to imitate how he did it years back, he squatted, carefully yet gently touching on the pile of snow he’d just stepped on. “… it was… soft. But that’s about it. I can’t feel anything else but that.”

Then, he stood up, looking at everywhere but Aoba as he led them down the street.

“I thought it was normal. But I saw the fear in my mother’s eyes when I ran out without a coat, just like that. I was curious. I couldn’t understand what the big deal about it was. And even after she made me wear thick winter coats, put a scarf around my neck, and even made me wear a beanie, it all felt the same to me.”

Aoba wasn’t sure what he should say. Simply listening to every word Noiz was telling him, he grasped harder on Noiz’s hand, hard enough for Noiz to return his grip.

“It was when I noticed what was really wrong with me that I started to understand why she was so cautious about dressing us up for the weather.”

Aoba couldn’t help but give out a small chuckle, causing Noiz to look curiously at him.

“That’s why you’re so particular with dressing me up as well,” Aoba said between small laughs. “You’re worried that I wouldn’t be able to handle this weather.”

Noiz looked away, seemingly thinking of something before he smiled lightly.

“Maybe,” he agreed. “But above all, I thought I hold the responsibility to take care of you when you’re here.”

His words stole all of Aoba’s intended reactions away. Lowering his head to hide the blush on his face, Aoba continued walking alongside Noiz, wondering how Noiz could conjure something so shameless in such a simple and natural way.

“Looks like this is the best spot for it.”

He only looked up when Noiz spoke, just to find himself looking at a field of white, where he found a few people throwing snowballs at each other on it.

“You wanted to come here?” he asked as he followed Noiz into the field.

“I’ve heard about this,” Noiz said. “They called it snowball fight.”

“O-oh,” Aoba mouthed. “ _Oh_.”

It was too late when the realization hit him. Noiz had taken fast pace into the middle of the field, leaving him behind to gape at him, the cold surrounding seemed to have slowed his thinking cap down as well.

“W-wait, Noiz, you’re not thinking of…” he started, but Noiz was already squatting down, gathering a big ball of snow before he turned around to shoot Aoba a mischievous smile.

“N-Noiz, I’m not ready for—“ Aoba said, trying to take a step back to no avail. Noiz was standing up, the big snowball in his hand.

“Don’t you dare throw that snowba—goddammit!”

He was two seconds too late. The ball flew straight at him, hitting him straight in the face and he swore some of them even managed to make their way into his mouth.

This was the first time he experienced snow; and perhaps, it was also Noiz’s first time as well.

Noiz had told him that he couldn’t understand the fun of snow fights; that he couldn’t  _feel_ the coldness of snow, that the concept of  _cold_ was all too foreign to him.

But now, when Aoba launched a snowball at his direction, Aoba knew that it was all different now.

It wasn’t only the fact that Noiz was able to feel the coldness that he’d be able to experience the whole fun of snow, of winter. But it was also because Aoba was with him, to experience this first time with him that had made this new experience so meaningful.

 

 

 


End file.
